Kermit Gosnell found guilty of murder in the first degree

After long days of deliberation on over 250 counts, the jury in the trial of Philadelphia abortionist Kermit Gosnell returned guilty verdicts on three of the four first-degree murder charges against him.

Earlier in the day, the jury had reported itself deadlocked on two of the charges.

If sentenced for the convictions, Gosnell could face the death penalty following the convictions by the jury in Common Pleas Court in Philadelphia.

Under Pennsylvania law, all 12 of the jurors must reach a unanimous verdict on any of the murder counts Gosnell faces for him to be convicted on any of them. Each of the elements of a charged crime must be proven to each juror beyond reasonable doubt for that juror to vote to convict on that count and one reluctant juror could lead to a mistrial on any of the first-degree murder charges.

Since prosecutors are pursuing the death penalty in the case, the jury will only be deciding whether Gosnell is guilty related to the charges. If convicted, a second jury will be impaneled to determine sentencing under the penalty phase of the trial. During this phase, the judge has already instructed jurors to only consider guilt or innocence.

According to NBC News in Philadelphia, Gosnell was also found guilty of involuntary manslaughter in the death of an adult patient, Karnamaya Mongar. Gosnell’s sentencing will reportedly take place next week.

Update: Some follow-up information about the long list of other charges against Gosnell, courtesy of J.D. Mullane of the Bucks County Courier Times, who followed the Gosnell trial closely:

Update: The abortion lobby is not taking the Gosnell verdict well. NARAL finds the real villains in this story to be those accursed pro-lifers and their crazy ideas about moral conscience and individual responsibility:

“Justice was served to Kermit Gosnell today and he will pay the price for the atrocities he committed. We hope that the lessons of the trial do not fade with the verdict. Anti-choice politicians, and their unrelenting efforts to deny women access to safe and legal abortion care, will only drive more women to back-alley butchers like Kermit Gosnell.

“From the lack of funding available for low-income women to access abortion services, to the sharp decline of reputable providers in Pennsylvania, to the gross negligence of authorities to enforce the law after complaints were filed against Gosnell, each aspect of this case must be a teachable moment for lawmakers: until we reject the politicization of women’s medical care and leave these decisions where they belong — between a woman and her family and her doctor — women will never be safe. The horrifying story of Kermit Gosnell is a peek into the world before Roe v. Wade made legal a woman’s right to make her own choices.

It’s a tough day for these psychopaths. Maybe they’ll be able to come up with something better after a good night’s rest.

“Some of the victims of these atrocities received justice through the trial of Dr. Kermit Gosnell, yet there are still countless victims of legal and illegal acts that deserve more. Gosnell is not an aberration within the abortion industry. We call on Congress to investigate all abortion centers and protect the weakest and most vulnerable among us.” Ashley McGuire, Senior Fellow, The Catholic Association

“The Gosnell case highlights the tragedy of the over 130,000 late-term abortions that happen legally across America annually — the only difference is that Gosnell was not as competent in killing the baby inside the womb. There is ample evidence that Dr. Gosnell is not alone in committing these inhuman acts, and we commend Congress for initiating an investigation into clinics nationwide.”

Lila Rose, president of Live Action:

“Dr. Kermit Gosnell’s gruesome and inhuman crimes in Philadelphia cried out for justice, and now – for three of his four born and struggling victims, at least – justice has been served. Even as we celebrate this verdict, we honor and mourn as well those innocents who did not receive ‘their day in court’ – and we must remember that Gosnell is not an outlier within the abortion industry. We cannot allow these ‘guilty’ verdicts, welcome as they are, to make us complacent when it comes to the continuing abuses happening even now in abortion facilities throughout our nation. We call upon Congress to investigate all those participating in or willing to participate in this kind of brutality toward vulnerable women and children, and end it.”